This invention relates generally to dental articulators utilized by dental technicians to fabricate full or partial dental prosthetics according to specifications established by a dentist. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved dental articulator incorporating novel means for providing a wide range of adjustment of the mandibular and maxillary casts to more accurately replicate the natural ranges of motion of the human mouth.
In forming dental prosthetics, such as dentures, molds of a patient's mouth are used to create plaster casts of the patient's mandibular and maxillary teeth. It is important that the patient's natural bite be replicated in order to form a well-fitting dental prosthesis. The function of a dental articulator is to secure a mandibular cast and a maxillary cast in a device which replicates the patient's natural bite and alignment between the maxillary and mandibular teeth. During the biting and grinding motions associated with mastication, a number of vertical, lateral and posterior-anterior mandibular displacements occur. It is necessary, therefore, that the dental articulator be minimally capable of cast movement in the vertical, lateral and posterior-anterior axes.
Past attempts to replicate proper anatomical movement of the mandibular cast relative to the maxillary cast have resulted in elaborate, complex and expensive dental articulators. Exemplary of such prior art dental articulators are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,019,529 issued Feb. 6, 1962 to G. Hinze, entitled "Dental Articulator"; U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,639 issued Dec. 26, 1967 to N. F. Guichet entitled "Dental Articulators and Clutch Fabrication"; U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,487 issued July 6, 1971 to N. F. Guichet entitled "Dental Articulator"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,319 issued Aug. 7, 1979 to G. Ouaknine entitled "Dental Occluder"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,708 issued Dec. 15, 1981 to R. Beu entitled "Dental Articulator". Each of these prior art dental articulators are characterized by a mandibular and maxillary stage. Typically, the mandibular stage has a pair of adjacent vertical supports, across which the maxillary stage is operably supported and capable of articulatory movement. The mandibular and maxillary casts are retained by their respective stages through various attachment means which secure the maxillary mold from a superior position and the mandibular mold from an inferior position. The prior art devices are characterized by having an assembly, often adjustable, for clamping the maxillary mold from a superior position and suspending the maxillary mold from the maxillary stage. Associated with the clamping assembly is typically a mandibular cast support assembly, which is also often adjustable, associated with the mandibular stage.
Due principally to these rather complex structural arrangements, there is an overabundance of adjustment points to secure the maxillary and mandibular casts within the articulator. These complex joints require the dental technician to make a myriad of fine bilateral adjustments in order to replicate the simplest displacement in a patient's bite. Moreover, within the simulated mouth, access to the work area is impaired by the articulator structure thereby increasing the difficulty of forming a well-fitting prosthesis. Further, each of the prior art articulators have complex mechanical arrangements for the mandibular joint to replicate the arcuate movement of the mandibular stage with respect to the maxillary stage.
Because of the prevalent need for affordable well-fitted dental prosthesis, a less complex, easier to use and relatively inexpensive dental articulator is provided by the present invention. The dental articulator of the present invention remedies the problems of the prior art dental articulators by providing a dental articulator which increases ease of access to the work area and requires minimum adjustment to replicate natural full range of motion of the human mouth, including naturally occurring vertical, lateral and anterior-posterior displacements. The novel dental articulator remedies the deficiencies in the prior art by utilizing posterior mold attachments in conjunction with a novel arrangement of a ball joint and a pivot joint.